HTC/Facebook jointly developed phone in the works?

When Google decided to release its first official proprietary phone way back in early 2010, it chose HTC to create the Nexus One. While not the commercial success that Google had hoped, it was widely loved by developers and Android OS tinkerers. Fast forward a few years, and both successive Nexus phones have been designed and built by Samsung. Whatever the reasons, HTC hasn’t been involved, and, according to “industry sources”, has decided to move on with a different partner: social network monolith Facebook. In an article at Digitimes, these sources were quoted as saying,

“HTC had previously joined forces with Google to launch Google’s first own-brand smartphone, the Nexus One. However, Google then shifted to cooperating with Samsung as its primary production partner for the launch of its second and third own-brand smartphones.

The new Android smartphone being developed by HTC will have a platform exclusive to Facebook to enable and integrate all functions available on the social networking site, the sources indicated. Previously, HTC launched two Facebook-enabled smartphones, the Salsa and Chacha.”

The reasoning has merit, especially given HTC’s history of social networking integration and even their social networking based devices, the aforementioned Salsa and Chacha. HTC has also been recruiting and acquiring business partners of late, most notably Beats Audio and their own acquisition, MOG. As always, time will tell, but such a deal certainly makes sense. On Facebook’s end, they’ve had their own acquisitions and seem to be on the move towards…something, though it’s anybody’s guess as to what.

Genius. Innovator. Magical elf. None of these things spring to mind when thinking about Mitch Wright, but now they will, thanks to this bio. Mitch works as a phone technician and writer when he's not spending time with his awesome wife and two wonderful kids. He's been using a smartphone since the HTC Touch and is a ROM flashing fanatic on his current phone, the Galaxy Nexus.